Sound Shapes review – musical cheers

Beck and deadmau5 help the PS Vita to get out of its rut, with a style of interactive music the likes of which you’ve never heard – or played – before.

Sound Shapes (PSV) – sweet music

The summer games drought is always a frustrating time, but some formats do weather the problem better than others. The summer gives the PC a chance to show of its indie credentials, and Nintendo are always much more willing than others to release big name games in the middle of the release schedule wasteland. But for the poor old PS Vita the last few months have been a nightmare.We’re not going to bang on about what a disaster the PS Vita’s post-launch release schedule has been, but what we will say is that Sound Shapes in an oasis in an otherwise barren landscape. It’s a download-only game, one that’s cross platform with the PlayStation 3. That means that no matter which version you buy you get the other for free, with the same save files shared between both.The game itself is the same on each console, although it’s obviously been designed primarily with the PS Vita in mind – given the way it uses its unique controls. Although interactive music is at the heart of Sound Shapes, in gameplay terms it’s a relatively straightforward 2D platformer.Sound Shapes is not a rhythm action game in the traditional sense though, of having to constantly keep the music going yourself. Instead you control a little eyeball type critter capable of a range of Mario style leaps and wall jumps. Your goal is to collect coin-like objects, each one of which adds dynamically to the background music.The music builds and swells in such a subtle manner that the experience of playing is unexpectedly cinematic, and surprisingly emotional. And this despite the abstract visuals and complete lack of any obvious story.The platforming isn’t just there for something to do though and there are some novel ideas, such as being able to stick to specially coloured walls, or to forgo that ability in favour of a boost of speed. Enemies are not only all coloured a bright red but they’re even more distinctive by the sounds they make, with the game threatening to be a far more efficient inducer of synesthesia than Rez or Child Of Eden.

It’s not perfect though – the controls aren’t quite as precise as they should be and we do worry that the difficulty level is pitched too high. The checkpointing is generous but death can come instantly and rather than worrying about having to do the same section again it’s more upsetting that all the music has reset.It’s always worth persevering though, as each new stage has a completely different theme and musician associated with it. Some levels are reminiscent of the PixeJunk Shooter games, others are more obviously influenced by retro classics such as Metroid and R-Type. Sound Shapes embraces its video game heritage and is not at all the pretentious indie novelty you might think.The soundtrack includes tunes from Beck, Superbrothers, deadmau5, Jim Guthrie, I Am Robot and Proud, Pyramid Attack, and Pixeljam – and although you’re unlikely to like them all the variety and quality is impressive.The quantity though is not so good, and most adequately skilled gamers will be able to get through the whole thing in just a few hours. There are a couple of unlockable extra modes though, with Dead Mode reusing existing sections and adding a very strict time limit. Beat School uses the game’s level creation tools and challenges you to recreate a specific tune, which is a neat idea but no substitute for just having more levels.The level editor does help greatly in making up for the game’s brevity though, with its palette of objects constantly added to the better you do in the main game. The emphasis is on creating tunes first and platforms second though, and it’s only after you’ve laid down the coins (the higher they are on the screen the higher in pitch they’ll sound) that you can start to construct the onscreen furniture around them. Thanks to its touchscreen this is a lot easier on the PS Vita than it is on the PlayStation 3, which bodes well for the forthcoming LittleBigPlanet.In fact Sound Shapes has a great deal in common with LittleBigPlanet, in the sense that everything but the gameplay is perfectly formed. Sound Shapes is a better platformer than any of Sackboy’s games though and given the price and cross platform play even better value for money. Especially as it’s a game that would never work as well on any console other than the PS Vita.In Short:The PS Vita finally gets something to sing about with a beautifully conceived mix of platform action, striking visuals, and perfectly orchestrated music.Pros:Impressively original concept and a great use of music and graphics. Excellent level editor and fun extra modes. Cross-play feature is very welcome.Cons:Viewed solely as a platformer the game has some niggling issues with the controls and difficulty level. Story mode is quite short.Score:8/10Formats: PlayStation 3 and PS VitaPrice: £9.99Publisher: Sony Computer EntertainmentDeveloper: Queasy GamesRelease Date: 15th August 2013Age Rating: 3Video:Check out the Sound Shapes trailer